Star Princess to Alaska

[CruisingCoral]

Hello! I am planning a cruise to Alaska this summer. Narrowed it down to either the Northbound or Southbound route and the ship options are the Star, Coral, and Island Princess. I am curious as to why you chose to take the Star Princess to Alaska over the Coral and Island. Thanks for your feedback!

[Coral]

I would choose the Coral over Star Princess as I prefer the ship. I would choose the Star over Island Princess as they made modifications to the Island Princess that I do not like. I like the Coral Princess because it has less passengers and feels more spacious.

 

I would do the route with Hubbard Glacier which is the Southbound route.

[Colo Cruiser]

Hello! I am planning a cruise to Alaska this summer. Narrowed it down to either the Northbound or Southbound route and the ship options are the Star, Coral, and Island Princess. I am curious as to why you chose to take the Star Princess to Alaska over the Coral and Island. Thanks for your feedback!

 

 

I wouldn't!! It would be Coral/Star/Island.

 

The Star over the Island due to the Islands addition of all the extra cabins and loss of a show lounge and a big chunk of the promenade deck. :(

 

The Coral is perfect with all the viewing areas forward and aft as well as much fewer passengers.

[sportsmum]

I would choose the Coral over Star Princess as I prefer the ship. I would choose the Star over Island Princess as they made modifications to the Island Princess that I do not like. I like the Coral Princess because it has less passengers and feels more spacious.

 

I would do the route with Hubbard Glacier which is the Southbound route.

 

Ditto! Except I don't know the Island Princess. Everything else is exactly as I would say. Hubbard Glacier is fabulous.

 

Also, the Coral has a better slot machine (smoking/non smoking) layout. 2 of my favourite machines in the non smoking area and their coffee place does hot chocolate with milk and not the powdered package. :D

Edited January 18, 2016 by sportsmum

[RetiredNTraveling]

For what it's worth, here is my worth!

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=110016

 

We loved both of our cruises to Alaska!

 

Just Mike

[hjd36]

We have chosen the Star Northbound because we have very limited time/dates available, and it fits!

To be honest, it's the cruise of a lifetime - we are coming from the UK - and expensive but since we have only ever done one cruise before, on Celebrity, we don't have any Princess cruises/ships to compare with.

We are going to enjoy it and I am sure we would do so whatever the ship.

[skynight]

My choices would be

1) Coral

2) Star, the number two choice but not far behind the Coral. The Star does have some advantages over the Coral such as a nice size International Cafe.

3) Island (last and very far behind the Coral and Island because of 2014 major dry dock changes which added over 200 passengers, eliminated the Universe Show Lounge, eliminated much or the upper deck and aft viewing areas which are important for Alaska, plus no International Cafe).

[paul929207]

We decided based on schedule. We are taking the Coral NB, then a 7 day land tour, and finally, the Star SB.

[Cruise Raider]

I loved the Coral and the Island but recently heard a lot of complaints about the Island so can only speak to what it used to be like. I love this size ship ... and the layout as well.

The Star is a perfectly lovely ship itself but just don't like the food on that ship -- not sure why but it has just never been up to par with the others. Even met one of the crew that stated everyone said that -- now, I am sure 'everyone' is an exaggeration, but must be enough for him to draw that conclusion.

[cvpends]

Select the ship with new beds. :)

[cvpends]

[ QUOTE=paul929207;48801957]We decided based on schedule. We are taking the Coral NB, then a 7 day land tour, and finally, the Star SB.

 

Nice!

[Colo Cruiser]

Select the ship with new beds. :)

 

 

How would one do that?

[cvpends]

Select the ship with new beds. :)

 

New bed schedule is at the bottom of this page. I can't vouch for its accuracy, however, since I am not in charge of Princess:

 

http://www.princess.com/ships-and-experience/princess-luxury-bed/?utm_campaign=PE5MS116B_US&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&utm_source=BRAND&utm_medium=EMAIL&utm_campaign=SHIPNEWS&utm_content=PE5MS116B_516B&elqTrackId=734e06f27e4643edbe4d3579ef6119a0&elq=9120d8c5c237408e845577e8e8812bc4&elqCampaignId=1345&elqaid=1475&elqat=1

[stoneformation]

We have chosen the Star Northbound because we have very limited time/dates available, and it fits!

To be honest, it's the cruise of a lifetime - we are coming from the UK - and expensive but since we have only ever done one cruise before, on Celebrity, we don't have any Princess cruises/ships to compare with.

We are going to enjoy it and I am sure we would do so whatever the ship.

 

We did the Star for Alaska a few years ago and LOVED it!! Have a great trip.

[Coral]

We did the Star for Alaska a few years ago and LOVED it!! Have a great trip.

 

I have enjoyed my time on the Star as well.

[CruisingCoral]

We decided based on schedule. We are taking the Coral NB, then a 7 day land tour, and finally, the Star SB.

 

 

That sounds fabulous! I've been wanting to take a trip like that!!

[Wishing on a star]

We are booked on the CORAL.

It should have the new mattresses after drydock, if that page on Princess web-site is right. Will also have SHARE, which many people have bemoaned, but has had a couple of stellar reviews from The RUBY. So I am ready to give it a try!

 

Doesn't have a full Piazza, with the convenient and bigger International Cafe. But, I think the two things above are def. worth the trade-off.

 

I think am hearing that the CORAL might have the better open viewing areas. And feels like a better public-space-per-guest ratio?

 

Have been reading reviews, and the reviews on the Star have not been that good.

 

PS: We also chose the Southbound, hoping to see Hubbard Glacier.

Now if the ship will actually get fairly close????

 

One can see College Fjord by a smaller tour from Whittier. And one can see Tracy Arm by a smaller tour from Juneau. I think our Southbound itinerary has limited time a Juneau, however. So, that might really be pushing it, and take up all of one's time in port there.

Edited January 18, 2016 by Wishing on a star

[paphoslady]

We did Star to Alaska based on the ports of call. Fantastic ship, great guest lectures, had a fantastic time!!

[partybarbie]

I have wonderful memories of sailing into Glacier Bay, viewing it from the comfort of Skywalker's on the Star. Having cruised to Alaska four times, I would choose the Star Southbound first, then Coral, then Island.

[Traveler103]

We have done the Diamond in 2010 and Sapphire in 2013, both southbound. We are booked on the Star for Jun '17 southbound and are taking our three grandsons this time. We loved it. Don't miss the whale watching in Juneau and if you have time in Anchorage, take the wildlife cruise to the Kenai Fjords. The Misty Fjords flight seeing in Ketchikan is also nice.

 

Happy sailing.

[XBGuy]

I might be the only person with this hang up, but I thought I would mention this regarding the preference of a northbound or southbound itinerary.

 

After 40 years of corporate life I have had my fill of airports and airlines. Traveling home at the end of a cruise I am pretty tired and, unfortunately, often cranky. Knowing this I prefer to minimize my travel time at the end of a point-to-point cruise. I don't know where the OP lives, but I would not be surprised of it was in the lower 48. It is a long flight from Anchorage to the lower 48. I'm pretty sure it's a little less than three hours to just get to Seattle. Other than Seattle, there are not that many non-stop flights--possibly, some of the major hubs like SLC, or Minneapolis, or Chicago. So, a connection is probably in your future.

 

Again, this is my hang-up. If I have to deal with airline flights, I prefer that the longer flight be at the beginning of my trip. I am stronger, and pumped with adrenalin. So, that makes the longer trip easier for me.

 

So, being the cranky old guy that I am, I like the 10/11 day round-trip Alaska cruise out of San Francisco. That means I'm looking at a one-hour flight from/to Southern California.

 

Definitely a first world problem. :D

[ntvsdgrl]

My first cruise was Northbound on Coral and absolutely loved it. That was in late August of 2013. Then did 4 days on land.

 

Last year I did Southbound on Star with 5 days on land first. I loved this ship too. Now the Star is much bigger than Coral but it didn't take away from the experience.

[Potstech]

Heading Northbound on the Star Princess on May 21 with a 5 day land tour after. Picked because of intinerary, price and work schedules. Will fly from ANC to the East Coast after. Leave at 3 pm on June 2 and arrive at 1130 am on June 3. We are used to travelling and long flights.

[Colo Cruiser]

My first cruise was Northbound on Coral and absolutely loved it. That was in late August of 2013. Then did 4 days on land.

 

Last year I did Southbound on Star with 5 days on land first. I loved this ship too. Now the Star is much bigger than Coral but it didn't take away from the experience.

 

 

We prefer the land first. :)

[azbirdmom]

We did the Star southbound last August and loved it so much we are doing the same thing again this August. This time we are doing the 4 day Denali explorer excursion first. There was plenty of room to move around on deck despite the fact that there are more passengers on the Star compared to Coral and the ship was full. While there were a lot of people on the upper decks while in Glacier Bay and at Hubbard Glacier, the Promenade deck was relatively empty. I don't thing you can go wrong with either the Star or Coral though.